Carton partition means



Aug. 7, 1945. l w. H. INMAN V CART-0N PARTITION MEANS Filed Jan. 26,1944 s sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR. y,

w. H. INMAN 2,381,543

CARTON PARTITION MEANS Aug. 7, 1945.

Filed Jan. 26, 1944 l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /w4fw4 f y@ @y QQ @35 L J`INENTOR.

llg 7, 1945. w. H. INMAN CARTON PARTITION MEANS 3 sheets-sheet' s FiledJan. 26, 1944 A I IIs/VENTOR.l

mma Aug. 7, 194s.

oAa'roN PARTITION MEANS William H. Inman,

Bloomer Bros. Company,

. poration of New York Application JanuaryZG, 1944, Serial No. 519,769

8 Claims.

This invention relates to carton partition means. or fillers," forseparating a carton into a plurality ofcompartments, or cells, forreceiving articles to be separately contained, such, for example, aseggs, fruit, -or other articles of food, articles of fragileconstruction, and the like, one object of the invention being to providean improved device of the above character having a more simple,inexpensive and efiicient construction.

.Another object is to provide such a device made from a. one-pieceblankl of material capable of being easily and quickly erectedincondition for insertion in the carton to be partitioned.

Another object is to provide a device of the character described capableof being readily erected and rigidly secured in erected position.

Another object isto provide a filler having a lone-piece constructionwhich is efficient in `use and capable of manufactured. Y A furtherobject is the provision of such a partition device adapted-to be storedand transported as a one-piece, fiat sheet lof material, or in partlyfolded, compactly collapsed and substantially flat condition, ready forerection and use.'

Still a further object is to afford a one-piece, folding iiller capableof being repeatedly secured being readily and economically in erectedposition, and collapsed vand erected again, for repeated use, or asconditions may .require. To these and other ends the invention residesin certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will behereinafter more fully de` scribed, the novel features being pointed outin the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a cardboard blank, cut and scored, ready forfolding into erected position, in accordance with the. presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is va plan view lof the blank of Fig 1, partly folded and incompactly collapsed, substantially flat condition for storage andtransportation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of parts shown in Fig. 1, forclearer illustration; I

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the side wall portions foldedupwardly in course of erection;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the parts as shown inFig. 4; I

Fig. 6 is a fragmentaryv plan lview showing a further step in theerection of the device;

ythe opposite margins of the Newark, N.l y., signor to Newark, N. Y., acor- Fig, 7 is a side elevation of the parts as shown in Fig. 6:

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the device after erection, ready for insertionin a carton indicated in dotted lines;

Fig.r 9 is a side right in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation as viewed from the bottom inFig. 8;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged, sectional plan on the line l|a-IlainFig. 10; f

Fig 12 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 9, but with the side wallsfolded angularly inward;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged, perspective view of the parts as viewed from theleft and below in Fig. 11,

elevation as viewed from the and Fig. 14 is a side elevation of theblank folded forcollapsing, substantially as shown in Fig. 2,.

The invention is herein disclosed, by way of illustration, as embodiedin a form particularly adapted for partitioning a 3 x 4 egg carton, t0provide the egg receiving cells, comprising various improvements onUnited States Patent No. 2,140,001, granted December 13, 1938, toMichael Davitt, for a Box divider.

Referring more particularly to the drawings. the present embodiment ofthe invention comprises a one-piece blank 20,-Fig. 1, of cardboard. orlike material, suitable for folding to form an egg carton "filler, theblank being formed with two longitudinal fold lines, indicated generallyat 2l and 22, spaced from each other and from blank, to divide itsubstantially into longitudinalfthirds, including opposite side wallportions 23 and 24 and a bottom portion 25. Each of the score lines, 2|and 22, comprises portions, as 2B, which are scored, Y

or otherwise weakened, to facilitate folding, as well understood in theart, and also other por-,- tions, 21, at which the material of the blankis cut completely through, or slitted. Certain of the cut parts 21coincide with the longitudinal fold lines 26, while at other spacedparts the cuts extend or curve outwardly, as at 2l, into the spacesintermediate the longitudinalfold lines 20 and the opposite margins ofthe blank, as shown, and for a purpose to be presently described. InIthe present instance, the outwardly curved cuts 28 are arranged inpairs and there are three sp'aced pairs in the length of the blank.

The blank is also formed at each of the cuts 28 with transverselyextending -fold lines 29, 30 and 3|, formed partly by lines of scoringor weakening, and partly by cuts extending through the material. Thelines, 29 and-2l, are located at and 22, between the cuts 28. These sidewall portions are alike in construction so that a description of oneapplies to both.

. It will be seen from the above constructionthat the side wallportions, 23 and 24, may be folded ,upwardly about the lines 2| and 22to a vertical position, as shown in Fig. Las a preliminary step,Y

in the erection of the illler. This is conveniently accomplished by thengers of one hand at each end of the blank, after which inward pressureat the ends of the blank cause the pairs of side wall portions 23a and23h and 24a and 24h to buckle outwardly and the bottom portions 25a and25h to buckle upwardly, as shown in Fig. 6, the pressure being continueduntil the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 8. It will be notedthat the outwardly curved cuts 28 separating these parts provideextended end portions on the parts 25a and 25h which are enclosedbetween and supported by the outwardly buckled side wall portions, thusrigidly supporting the upwardly buckled bottom portions 25a and 25h invertical position.

Means are provided for securely holding the outwardly buckled side wallportions in the erected position shown in Fig. 8, in which they alsosupport the vertically buckled bottom portions, such means comprising,preferably, hinged ears 34, produced by cuts formed Aalong the foldlines 3|, so that, in folding, the ears separate from the side walls 32and remain in the plane of the out-v wardly buckled portions 23h and2lb. Adjacent the base of the ears, the blank material is cut by atransverse slit 35 and by spaced, oppositely curved cuts 36, to formpairs of opposing hinged ears 3l'. For engagement between these ears 3l,

'the transverse lines 29 include cuts forming tongues 38 lying in theplane of adjacent side wall portions 32, so that as the parts are movedto the erected position described above, tongues 38 are forced throughthe corresponding slits 35 between the pairs of ears 3l. The insertedthickness of the tongues .38 forces the ears to an inclined position, asbest shown in Fig. 13, so that a pull tendingy to withdraw the tonguestends to wedge the-m more tightly between the ears 21 and thus oppose asubstantial frictional resistance acting to securely hold the parts inengagement with each other, but permitting withdrawal of the tongues bya sulcient outward pull on the ends of the blank.

To prevent interference between the ends of the upwardly Ibuckled bottomportions 25a and 25h and the tongues 38, such bottom portions are formedwith registering circular openings 39, through which the tongues freelypass for engagement with the hinged ears 31, as described above. Theopenings 39 are preferably made of suiiicient diameter for clearing thetongues 38 in the vertical position normally occupied by the side wallportions in which the outwardly buckled portions have their lower outerends 40 alined withy the bottom 25 and both resting on the bottom of thecarton to be partitioned. In erecting the device, however, it may beconvenient toraise the side wall portions to an inwardly inclinedAposition as shown in Fig. 12, in which they may even engage eachother'at their top edges,` and the openings 33 are made large enough toclear the tongues 38 in this position also, so that the tongues are leftfree for engagement with the ears in any position to which the sidewalls may be raised during erection. f

In the manufacture o! the device, the blank may be merely cut andscored, as described, after which it may be readily bent about its foldlines, but it is preferred to initially bend the material .by anysuitable erecting machine or form, about the transverse score lines, sothat the side wall portions are biased for buckling outwardly and thebottom portions'for buckling upwardly, to facilitate both the compactcollapsing of the blank for storage and transportation, as shown inFigs. 2 and 14, and also the erection oi' the device for use.

'I'he device may be quickly and easily erected by grasping and pullingits ends in opposite direction to first bring the parts to the positionshown in Fig. 1 after which the side walls are folded upwardly, as shownin Figs. 4 and 5. An inward push on the blank ends then causes the sidewall portions to buckle outwardly and the bottom portions to buckleupwardly and, as the parts are moved to the fully erected position shownin Fig. 8, the ends of the upwardly buckled bottom portions are engagedand supported be- I tween the outwardly buckled side wall portions,

and tongues 38 engage between ears 3l' and securely hold the parts inerected position, from which the blank may be again collapsed, however,if desired, by an outward pull on the ends of the blank and return ofthe parts to the position shown in either Fig. l, or Figs. 2 and 14.

'I'he invention thus provides a one-piece iiller device, which isreadilyl and economically manufactured, conveniently disposed forstorage and transportation and quickly and easily erected for use, withmeans for securely but releasably re- `taining it in erected positionready for insertion in a carton.

It will thus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects, andwhile it has been herein disclosed by reference to the details of oneparticular embodiment, it will be understood that such disclosure isintended in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense, as it iscontemplated that various modifications and changes in the constructionand arrangement of the parts will readily occur to those skilled in theart, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A carton partition device comprising a blank formed With longitudinalfold lines spaced from each other and from opposite margins of saidblank to` provide two side portions and an intermediate bottom portion,said blank having cuts vtherethrough at spaced parts of said fold linesand beingformed also with transverse fold lines at the ends andintermediate portions of said cuts to `provide opposite side portionsadapted to buckle outwardly and bottom portions adapted to buckleupwardly, and cooperating elements on said buckling side and bottomportions arranged for engagement with each other by the erection of saidblank, to hold said portions in buckled, cell-forming position.

2. A carbon partition device comprising a blank formed with longitudinalfold lines spaced from each other and from opposite margins of saidblank to provide two side portions and an intermediate/bottom portion,said blank having cuts therethrough at spaced parts of said fold linesand being formed also with transverse fold lines at the ends andintermediate portions of said cuts respectively,

to provide opposite side portions adapted to buckle outwardly and bottomportions adapted to buckle upwardly, and tongues projecting from andalined with said side portions, side portions having slots formedtherein to receive and retain said tongues, respectively, to hold saidportions in buckled, cell-forming position.

3. A carton partition device comprising a blank formed with longitudinalfold lines spaced from each other and from opposite margins of saidl,blank to provide two side walls and an intermediate bottom, said blankbeing cut through at spaced parts of said fold lines by cuts extendingoutwardly intermediate said longitudinal fold lines and said formed alsoat each of said cuts with transversely extending fold lines, theportions of said side walls between said transverse fold lines beingbuckled outwardly and the portions of said bottom between saidtransverse fold lines being buckled upwardly and having their endsprovided with openings therethrough and enclosed between said outwardlybuckled side wall portions, and coopverating elements on opposite sidesof said side wall portions for engagement with each other through saidend openings for holding said buckled portions in cell-forming positionand limiting outward movement of said side walls.

4. A carton partition device comprising a blank formed with longitudinalfold lines spaced from each other and from opposite margins of saidblank to provide two side walls and an intermediate bottom, said blankbeing cut through at spaced parts of said fold lines by cuts extendingoutwardly intermediate said longitudinal fold lines and said margins andsaid blank being formed also at each of said cuts with transverselyextending fold lines, the portions of said side walls between saidtransverse fold lines being buckled outwardly and the portions of saidbottom between said transverse fold .lines being buckled upwardly, andhaving their ends enclosed between said outwardly buckled side wallportions. and cooperating elements at opposite sides of said outwardlybuckled side wall portions for engagement with each other'l to hold saidbuckled portions in cellforming position.

5. A carton partition device comprising a blank spaced from diatebottom, V d spaced parts of said fold lines by .cuts extending outwardlyintermediate said longitudinal told lines and said margins and saidblank being formed also at each of said cuts with transversely extendingfoldlines. the portions of said sidewalls between sad transverse foldlines buckled outwardly and the portions of said bottom between saidtransverse ioldlines being buckled upwardly and having their endsenclosed between said outwardly buckled side portions, and tonguesprojecting from and alined with said side walls, said outwardly buckledportions oi said side walls having slots formed therein to receive andretain said tongues, u

said outwardly buckling margins and -said blank being from oppositemargins of said o transversely extending fold projecting through saidopenings to hold said portions in buckled, cell-forming position.

6. A carton partition device comprising a blank formed with longitudinalfold lines spaced from each other and from'opposite margins of saidblank to provide two side walls and an intermediate bottom, said blankbeing cut through at spaced parts of said outwardly intermediate saidlongitudinal fold lines and said margins and said blank being formedalso at each of 'said cuts with transversely extending fold lines, theportions of said side walls between said transverse fold lines beingbuckled outwardly and the portionsof said bottom between said transversefold lines being buckled upwardly and having ltheir ends provided withopenings therethrough and enclosed between said outwardly buckled sidewall portions, said outwardly buckled side wall portions having slotsformed therein, and tongues on said side walls and interlocked with saidslots, to hold said buckled portions in cell-forming position.

'1. A carton partition device comprising a one- `piece blank formed withlongitudinal fold lines spaced from each other and from opposite marginsof said blank to provide opposite side walls and an intermediate bottom,said blank being cut through at spaced parts of said fold lines by cutsseparating said side walls and bottom, and said blank being formed alsoat each of said cuts with lines, the portions of said side walls betweensaid transverse lines being buckled outwardly andthe portions of saidbottom between said transverse fold lines being buckled upwardly to formarticle receiving cells, hinged said outwardly buckled side wallportions pair separated by a cut, and tongues formed on said side wallsfor releasable engagement between said ears to hold said outwardlybuckled portions in cell-forming position.

8. A carton partition device comprising a onepiece blank `formed withlongitudinal fold lines' spaced from each other and from oppositemargins of said blank to provide opposite side walls and an intermediatebottom, said blank being cut through at spaced parts of said fold linesby cuts lextending outwardly intermediate said longitudinal fold linesand said margins, and said blank being formed also at the ends andcenter of each of said cuts with'transversely extending fold lines, theportions of said side walls at each cut between said transverse linesbeing buckled outwardly and the corresponding portions of said bottombeing buckled upwardly and having their ends provided with openingstherethrough and enclosed and' supported between said loutwardly buckledside wall portions, hinged ears formed in pairs by cuts in saidoutwardly buckled portions with lthe ears ot each pair separated by acut, and tongues on said side walls projecting through said openings andIrictionally engaged between said ears to hold said buckled portions incell-forming position. c

WILLIAM E. INMAN.

fold lines by cuts extending

